Newsletter Feb 22, 2021

It was one year ago this month that the U.S. saw its first death from COVID-19. Now we're on the verge of the grim milestone of 500,000.

3 Things

Half-million mourning: The U.S. was on the cusp of its 500,000th death from COVID-19 just one year from the first fatal case. That's an average of over 1,300 deaths per day -- and unthinkable number this time one year ago but one that has become all too normal.
"It's terrible. It is historic. We haven't seen anything even close to this for well over a hundred years, since the 1918 pandemic of influenza," the nation's top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci told NBC's "Meet The Press." ... It's something that is stunning when you look at the numbers, almost unbelievable, but it's true."
The tragic milestone comes as the U.S. is finally appearing to make some headway against the virus. New infections are at their lowest rate since early fall, and deaths and hospitalizations are declining.
However, Fauci warns against over-optimism and a premature victory celebration. The new variants are spreading and causing problems for experts to contain, and weather delays have hampered progress on the vaccination front. However, he believes enough Americans will be vaccinated for a full return to normal by next fall.
SEE WHAT FAUCI IS SAYING ABOUT THE STATE OF THE VIRUS

Texas turmoil: The power is back on for millions of freezing Texans, but the fallout from the winter storm blackout could have a lasting impact on the future of political power in the Lone Star State.
And while problems with the power grid are finally being addressed, there are other major infrastructure issues like the replacement and repair of ruptured water pipes. More than 14 million Texans are still without clean drinking water while also dealing with damage to their dwellings by frozen and standing water.
To make matters worse, millions of Texans are also receiving hefty electric bills, some for over $10,000 based on the increased demand during last week's deep freeze despite enduring rolling blackouts and lengthy outages and interruptions in service. Meanwhile, the powerful and politically connected have benefited financially from the ordeal -- like Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
The crisis has created some angry customers and residents who don't understand how the top energy-producing state could find itself in such a powerless situation. It didn't help matter when Texas Gov. Greg Abbott falsely pointed the finger at renewable energy as the culprit, or when Sen. Ted Cruz decided to go to Cancun during the crisis. It all has Texans reaching their boiling points.
SEE HOW ANGRY TEXANS ARE REACTING TO THE CRISIS

Reunion tour?: For those who wondered how long former President Donald Trump could stand being out of the limelight, it appears the answer is about five weeks. That's how long it's been since Trump's exit from the White House to his planned return to the political stage Feb. 28 at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando.
Trump agreed to speak at the annual gathering of conservatives, which this year features a divided GOP looking for direction. Whether it stands by Trump or returns to the more traditional model is threatening the split the Republican Party into two camps.
That's sure to be one of the subjects when Trump returns to the stump in front of some of his most ardent supporters. However, it doesn't appear that he will be reunited with former Vice President Mike Pence, who declined an invitation to attend the conference and plans to lay low for the next six months, or until the smoke clears.
Trump's appearance should clear up some recent speculation about his future plans while he has remained in relative seclusion at Mar-a-Lago. Regardless of the content, it's sure to be controversial.
FIND OUT WHAT TRUMP PLANS TO SAY IN HIS CPAC SPEECH

Markets

Pineapple on ice

Americans have already had to endure the COVID-19 pandemic, major snow storms, vaccination shortages, power outages, political upheaval and a polar vortex this winter. What could possibly be next? Avalanches, according to weather officials, at least for those in the Pacific Northwest.

Oddly, meteorologist have a pleasant name for the dangerous and potentially deadly phenomenon -- the Pineapple Express. It might sound like something out of "SpongeBob SquarePants," but the avalanches the storms cause are anything but pleasant, as witnessed in recent weeks. The Pineapple Express storms form in Hawaii and make their way across the Pacific Ocean to the cold and mountainous West.

Emergency officials are warning against snow skiing, snowmobiling or any outdoor activities near the rivers of ice experiencing Pineapple Express conditions. The forecast calls for a gradual melting of snow in the coming day, which could trigger massive shifts in the receding sheets of ice.

FIND OUT WHAT MAKES THE PINEAPPLE EXPRESS SO DEADLY

Mile High malfunction

Denver area residents were terrified by falling debris caused by a United Airlines plane that suffered a fiery engine failure Saturday shortly after taking off. The plane managed to safely make an emergency landing with all 241 aboard, but not until after it dropped debris on a Denver suburb.

Miraculously, no one was injured on the plane or on the ground. The terror in the air was documented by a video showing the right engine ablaze and wobbling on the wing of the Boeing 777-200. Passengers prayed for their safety as the pilots were able to land the smoldering plane.

"I can honestly say I thought we were going to die at one point -- because we started dropping altitude right after the explosion," one passenger said. "I grabbed my wife's hand and said, 'We're done.' "

The engines cover was entirely missing as parts of the plane -- ranging from small bits of debris to large sections -- rained down from the sky, damaging homes and terrifying residents. The FAA is still gathering pieces of evidence as part of its investigation into the cause of the incident.

SEE WHAT PRELIMINARY REPORTS SAY COULD BE THE CAUSE

Overnight Cruz

"Saturday Night Live" had a field day with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and his unsuccessful attempt to flee his frozen-over state of Texas for the tropical climes of Cancun. The corn-rowed, cocktail-sipping Cruz, played by Aidy Bryant, was the punching bag of all punching bags in the opening skit.

Cruz, who returned from Mexico one day after news broke about his great escape while his constituents were freezing, initially blamed the trip on his daughters. "SNL" took full note of his excuses while portraying other recent celebs in the news for all the wrong reasons, like singer Britney Spears, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and actress Gina Carano.

But Cruz didn't get off that easy, especially after using his family as an excuse for the ill-fated vacation getaway. He was also the hot topic on "Weekend Update," the fictional news show that repeatedly returned to slam the shamed senator. The best zinger on "Flyin' Red" was â€œIf you think itâ€™s bad heâ€™s throwing his daughters under the bus, Cruz would like you to know that statement was his wifeâ€™s idea,â€ co-host Colin Jost joked.

WATCH THE SPOOFS OF CRUZ, CUOMO, AND THE MARS ROVER